Conveyer



Nov. l, 1927/22 1,647,370

- M. W. MITCHELL i CONVEYER Filed Auz. 6. 1923 3 Sheets-Shee'fI 3 gli ucl l'u'z MARION W. l'lwcH su.'

ma, f

kpresent conveyer mechanism cooperates as,

Fatented Nov. 1i, 1927. e UNITED 'STATES IVIARION W. MITCHELL, OF'AKRON, OHIO,

Uc'rs coMPANrorVAKRoN, omo, AooRroRATroN' or VoHIoJ:

eonvEYnn. 'l

yAmnmtioa inea August e, 1923. serial 510.655,321.

This invention relates to av conveying mechanism and has particular ref'erence'to a conveyer for use in a rim factory, although it is applicable to other industries where similar.oi- Qanalogous operations yare performed.

A general object of the invention is'the provision of a system for handling rims or other annular objects which will introduce important economi-esin the removal vof the rimsfrom the plating apparatus and thel the cars by which the rims are tobe hauled away. Along the path of the conveyer, various stations areV provided at which the final operations, such 'as inspectiony and distribution, are performed. l

In thedrawings there are shown vsuch portions of a rim factory as will enable the construction and operation ofthe presentl invention to be understood, and while the a part ofthe Whole system used in the manufacture'of rimsV andv renders itinoreeffi-y 1 cient,y it will be understood that the mechanismof this invention is notvliniitedfor use.r in the handling of rims, but is adaptable for` the transfer of various articles 'in many industries; i f y u Ity will also be understood that .while shown in detail, the invention .may be modiied and changed as will be apparent to one skilled'in the Aart Without departing from the'spirit of the 'invention or sacrificing any of the material benefits thereof.

1 In the drawings: y

Figure 1- is aI plan view of the conveying mechanism selected to illustrate the invention; i l, Y.

`Figure 2 isaside elevation thereof, show ing the discharging end of the plating apparatus;v f. l K Y Figure` 8 is an enlarged plan of a portion of the conveyer; Y

Figure 4 is a side elevationvof that portion of the conveyer shown in Figureu.;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the tracks showing the 'arrangementfor taking the rims off theplating conveyer;

Figure 6 is aplan view of aportionofthe` conveyer, being a continuation of lFigure 3,A

terne AssIGnoRTo THE FmEs'roNnsTEE'L- PROD# I Figure 7 is an enlarged view of a party Off'` the conveyerishowing the Vswitch lfor thefdistributionof they rims;`

Figure 8 is a inFigure4;` .f Figure 9 is a side elevation yof the elevating device; and V Figure l0 is an enlarged line 10e-l0 in Figure 9.

Referringto the 1 drawings, A designates,

section on ytheV as a whole, Ithe unloading end y,of ay plating apparatus having the'usual plating tank 2' and a spraying. cabinet 1l. Above the: tank is arranged an endless conveyer 6 ladapted' to transport the rims over vthe tank ,and impart `section onk lineySfi i..

merse them inthe baths containedtherein.

rlhe conveyer 6 includes anumber: of transf verse cross .bars 8, eachcarrying 4a kpair of duplicate'swingingbrackets l0 `adapted to suspend'therims from the conveyer.V VEach bracket 10 isformedv with a depending'.|oi-.`v

furcated portion `1 2 having the ends thereof arranged in a transverse plane with respect to the conveyer and outwardly and upwardly turned to provide hooked portions 11i ripon which the annular rims 16 maybe suspended for both vertical androtary-move-g l ment; It will be noted that the lbrackets .are

relatively arrangedtosupport the rims :in

parallel rows. i f

The above 4mentioned general features of the construction of .the plating. apparatus constitute no part ofthe present invention and require `no further. description. This invention is concernedwith novel means forV removing the rims from the'plating mechaveyer B"consistsof a pluralityjof run-ways;

18 in each 4of whichlis a rail or track 20farranged below the rows of rims on the plating I conveyer, thenumber oftracks correspond'- ingi to the number of rows of rims'on-,the

`plating conveye'r.- The track-ways 18 are*l supported at suitable points along their length by uprights 22. The rails'2() are arranged in pairs and extend; parallel to one another for a portion of their length, as at' 24, the parallel portions ofthe-tracks being inclined upwardly inthe direction of the length of the conveyer. From an inspection oi: Figure 4, it will be seen that the lower portion of each rim ,will slide on one of the rails while still suspended by the hooks 14 on the transporting conveyer, and the incline o1e thek rails will serve to raise the rims relative to the hooks until al point 26 is reached Where the rims will be elevated suiiciently to clear Ithe hooks,V in the manner shown in Figure 8. TheA points 26 are Vprogressively arranged at greater distances along the vlengthof the conveyer in such afmanner as to cause the rims in the different rows to be discharged upon the railsr at progressive intervals for a purpose to be pointedl out hereinafter.

Beyond the point 26 the railsI are provided with av sharp incline 28 vwhich merges into a gradually inclined portion 3Q.

Extending parallel to the side rails and arranged to engage the sides of the rims are guide rails 432 against which theV rims fall 'from the hooks 14.` The'side rails are inclined inwardly atthat portion oi' their length above the incline 30 of the rails 2O so that the' rims will be gradually raised from the inclined position shown in dotted lines in Figure 8 toa vertical position.

The portions 30 of the rails in each pair are inclined inwardly towardfa point 34 where each pair of rails merges into a single rail 36 upon which the rims are conducted to a channeled run-way 88 which extends past an'inspection station 40.

rlhe arrangement of the point 26 in the tracks, so 'thatv the rims in eachl rail will be unloaded at progressive intervals, will pre'- vent therims from Ypiling up atl the points where 'the tracks merge,`and permits the rims to be led in a single stream past the inspection station.

After the inspection operation, it is sometimes desirable to separate the rims according to sizesand to distribute them to various points about the factory. To this' end the run-way 38 is provided with two branches 42 and 44'leadingto different points, a switch 46 being provided to direct the rims into the appropriate branch. `Within each track-way 42 and 44 is provided a rail or track 48 upon which the rims rest, `each rail beingl provided with a comparatively steep inclined portion 50 which merges with a Vdownwardly inclined portion 52 which leads to astorfage room or to the cars in which the rimsA are to be shipped.

Ain elevating device, designed as a whole as 60, is utilized to move'the rims up the incline 50. rIfhe elevator 6() consists-otl an idle pulley 62 and a driven pulley 64 suitably supported by standards 66 and 68 respectively above the track-way and a rim engaging belt 70 trained about the said pulleys. Pivoted to the standard 66 andf72 is a belt tightening device 7 4 consisting of a trame 76 in which is mounted belt engaging rollers 78 and 80. The device 74 serves to keep the lower rim 82 ot the belt 70 in engagement with the rims'to cause the latter to bev rolled up the incline in a manner readily understood. Any convenient means for driving the pulley 64 may be employed, the illustrated embodiment consisting of an electric motor 84 suitably mounted adjacent vthe standard G8. The meter shaft 86 is provided with a worm 88 in mesh with a gear 90 upon one end of a shaft, 92 mounted in the standard 68. Upon the other end oiI shaft 92 is a pulley 94 which is connected to a pulley 96 on the pulley shaft 98 by a belt ioo. g

By the construction and arrangement of the conveying mechanism abovev described, it is possible to reduce the handling and truck-y ing of rims to a great extent, and the maximum production is possible at the greatest efficiency.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. ln a device ot the character described` an endless conveyer, hooks depending from said conveyer on which rims are suspended in parallel rows, means for removing a sinnv gle rim from each row successively, and a second conveyer adapted to carry off the removed rims.

24 In a device ot the characterrset forth, an inclined guideway down which rims may roll in a vertical plane, a gravity conveyer having its receiving end elevated'above the discharging end of the guideway, andineans or'automatically transferring the rims from the guideway to the said conveyer.

3. In a device ot the character set forth,

an inclined guideway downy which rims may roll in a vertical plane, a gravity conveyerr having its receivingend elevated above the discharging end ot the guideway, andmean's for automatically transferring the rims from the guideway to the said conveyer, thel said means comprising an inclined track connecting the guideway with the conv-eyer and means for rolling the rims up the incline.,

4. In a device of the character set forth, an inclined guideway down 'which rims may roll in a vertical plane, a distributing conveyer having' its receiving end elevated above the discharging end of the guideway, an inclined track connecting` the guideway and the conveyer, and means for rolling the rims up the track, the said means comprising a belt located above the track and adapted to engage the periphery of the rims.v

5. In a device of the character described, an inclined guideway downA which rims may roll in a vertical position, a vdistributing con-` veyer having its receiving en d located' above the discharging end of said guideway, an'

i upwardly inclined. track connecting the A thereof engagin guidewayv and the conveyer, andmeans for rolling rims up the said track, I the said meanscomprising an endless 'belt located abovev the track and having the lower run g the and means for driving the belt.

`6. .In aV device of the character an inclined guideway down which rims may roll in a vertical position, a distributing conveyer having its receiving end located above thedischarging end of said guideway, an upwardly inclined track connecting the guideway and the conveyer, and means for rolling rims up thesaidV track, the said means comprising an endless belt located above the track and havingthe lower run thereof engaging the periphery ot the rims, means forl driving the belt, andmeans for holding the said run in frictional engagement with the rims.y i p y 7. In a -deviceof thecharacter described, an inspection station, a conveyer on which rims may roll comprising a plurality of units, a single unit into which the said units deliver, the said single unitV leading past the inspection station, a plurality of units vfor removing rims from the inspection station, and means for allocating the rims to the removing units.

8. In a device of the character described, a plurality of -guideways down which the rims mayroll in a vertical plane,a single guideway into which the said guideways deliver, a pluralityv of distributing units, and means for delivering the rims from the single vguideway to the distributing units. Y

9. In a device of the character described, a plurality of guideways down which the .rims may roll ina vertical plane, a. single lguideway into which the said guideways deliver, a gravity conveyerv having the receiving end located above the level of the single guideway, and an elevating devicefor hoisting the rims from tlie'single giiideway to the n gravity conveyer. y

10. In a device of the character described, an endless conveyer, hooks depending from said conveyer adapted to support rims thereon, and a second conveyer having its receiving end beneath one end of the endless 1 conveyer, the said second conveyer consisting of a plurality of tracks on which the 'rims are adapted to rest, the said tracks be ing constructed to remove the rims automatically from the hooks. 11. In a. device of y l the class described, a conveyer, means on said conveyer for supporting rims in longitudinal and transverse rows, a second conveyer having its receiving end adjacent one end of the iirst conveyer, the lat-ter conveyer comprising a plurality of rim supporting tracks corresponding in number to the longitudinal rows of rims, the said tracks being constructed to .remove the periphery of the trimsl described, l

rims from the supporting means on the firstconveyer and having,v an inclined portion down which the rims'roll ina Avertical -plane,f

means for uniting therims on each. tracky 12'.' In a device of the l clriaracter described,y

aconveyerfmeans on the conveyer 'for vsuspending rims Vin longitudinal and transverse rows in vertical planes, asecond conveyer having its receiving end adiacent one end of the .first conveyer, the second conveyer beingprovided with means for elevating the rims with respect to the said supporting means and for throwingthem out of the vertical planes to clear the .supporting means, means on the second conveyer for sulpporting the rims, means adapted to gradual y return the rims to verticalplanes above the said supporting means, a plurality of. distributing conveyershaving their receiving ends elevated above the discharging end of the second conveyer, and means for raising the rims to the level lof the distributing con- `A n 13. In a device of the character described,v an endless conveyer, hoops depending from said conveyer adapted to support rims in vertical planes in longitudinal and transverse rows, a second conveyer having its re- ,A

ceiving end under one end of the endless conveyer, the said second conveyer consist-A ing oi" a plurality o'f runways corresponding said conveyer adapted tov suspend rims in.

parallel, longitudinal and transverse rows in vertical planes, asecond conveyer having its receiving end under the discharging end of the first conveyer, the said second conveyer composed of a plurality of runways corresponding in number to the longitudinal rows of rims, a track in each of'said runways on which the rims are adapted to rest, each ot said tracks being provided with an upwardly inclined portion which elevates the rims with respect to the hooks and a curved portion which throws the rims out of the vertical planes to clear the hooks, the said curved portion in each rail being arrangedV at dilierent distances along the length of the conveyer to cause the rims in each transyin number to the longitudinal ro'ws'otI rims, a track in each of said runways on which the device of the character described,

lao

verse row to be removed from the endless conveyer at successive time intervals, guide rails adapted to gradually bring the rims back to a vertical plane above the rails,A the said trackways merging into a single guideivay in which all of the rims pass in. a single stream, an inspect-ion station located adjacent the single gnidevay, a plurality of distributing conveyers having their receiving end elevated above the singlel trackway,; in- 10 cllned tracks connecting` the trackvva'v Witli each distributing conveycr,A means tor allocating tbe rims to each of the distributing conveyers, and means for rollingtlie rims up the inclined tracks onto the distributing conveyors.

MARIoN W. MITCHELL. 

